While on a visit to Dubai last week, I couldn’t help but notice that the streets were empty and despite it being a Sunday, the start of the official working week, traffic was lighter than usual.
The few people I saw on the streets were donning face masks, a sign that the fear of the dreaded Covid-19 had descended. As usual, my taxi driver offered me little intel: Schools were closed and most people had opted to stay at home; business was unusually low. Even the normally busy Dubai International Airport – the world’s second busiest airport – was empty.
Despite this grim picture caused by the coronavirus scare, I could not help but admire the level of infrastructural development of the tiny Emirate state. The swanky skyscrapers, the thoroughfares that stretched out as far as the eye could see, the metro, orderly spatial planning and the beauty of the city were incomparable even to the more established First World cities.
“Will the developing world ever get here?” I asked my Phillipino taxi driver a little embarrassed for being impressed and shocked. “Because they don’t steal their money here”, he said in a tone suggesting that development and corruption are like oil and water; totally incompatible.
In less than 20 years Dubai was transformed from a backward desert nation to one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Between 1995 and 2005, this middle eastern country grew her GDP from $11 billion to $110 billion. The GDP per capita income increased from $16,000 to $41,000 in just 10 years. Dubai is the miracle of modern times.
How did they make it? Development needs sound leadership. Good, decent leaders design sound development policies. It is only in selfless leaders that funds will not be stolen or squandered through inflated contracts or wasted in white elephant projects.
‘The Sheikh CEO: Lessons in Leadership’, a book written by Yasar Jarrar, a former senior staff in the office the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohamed Bin Maktoum gives an insight into the inspirational leadership of the Emir of Dubai. Strangely, Dubai achieved all this development even as the revenue from oil dwindled to less than 1.2 per cent of the GDP.
Dubai is a study in how sound economic policies, fused with servant leadership that cares for the well-being of its people, transitioned a nation from backwardness to First World status. If leaders have no regard for the social and economic conditions of their people, then their policies too will reflect a lack of concern for the wellbeing of the citizens. And it is not that Dubai didn’t have a share of the corrupt or those hellbent to maintain status quo of hopelessness and want.
As Kenya stares into a bleak future, we must rise up and confront what ails our society. The difference is in how Kenya has chosen to fight what holds back its promise. For example, reports that the fight against corruption is floundering are disheartening as they are disturbing. Governance think-tank, African Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG), says corruption is flourishing in government and high offices. Capturing and controlling the Presidency – the source of power – and the Treasury – the source of money – is essential to fashioning the “criminal web” necessary to re-purpose government for the benefit of rent-seeking elites,” reads AfriCOG’s ‘State capture, inside Kenya’s inability to fight corruption’ report released this week.
Public funds
With such motivation, surely it will be hard to break away from the misery and poverty that confronts our people day-in-day-out. In the Bible, Jesus said, If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. Isn’t it time Kenyans did away with such leaders? President Uhuru Kenyatta needs to get tougher on corruption. Kenya will never develop unless the pilferage of public funds is stopped.
It doesn’t help him when the sentiments on the ground now are that one only needs to appear by Raila Odinga’s side to get cleaned of the stain of corruption. This is causing a severe dent in efforts to rid the country of the dangerous malaise. Many Kenyans are left wondering how the obviously unclean are finding their way to the high table.
Mr Guleid is the CEO, FCDC Secretariat and former Deputy Governor of Isiolo County.
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